Many shippers use returnable or reusable containers to facilitate the distribution of their products to retailers and dealers. The containers are used to transport products from a shipper's facility to retailers and dealers. Once the full containers that have been received at the retailers or dealers are unloaded, they are transported back to the shipper's facility where they are prepared for use in shipping additional products. The shipper loads the containers with additional products and the containers are again shipped to the retailers and dealers.
Many different types of containers have been developed to accommodate various products that are shipped in reusable containers. A variety of general purpose containers are suitable for many applications. For example, small, rectangular totes made of a durable material may be used to transport many different types of small products or parts. Such containers are “generic” and may be used interchangeably to meet a variety of requirements and needs.
Other products may require large containers that are customized to accommodate the products that are loaded into the containers. The containers may be designed to meet a variety of requirements and needs that cannot be met with the use of multi-purpose containers. First, the containers may be designed to conform to the outline or footprint of the product to facilitate loading of the container and to minimize movement of the product while in the container. In addition, the containers may be designed to protect the product during transport, to facilitate movement of the product while at the shipper's or dealer's facility as well as to or from a truck or trailer, and to minimize the possibility of injury to individuals loading, unloading, and transporting the containers and products.
One type of product that is typically transported in a specialized container is a personal recreational vehicle (PRV) (e.g., an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or personal watercraft (PWC)). PRVs typically have exposed upholstery, gauges, and other components or parts that are susceptible to damage and degradation if left exposed to weather, road, or other hazards. As a result, it is important to protect the vehicles during transport. One type of specialized container that has been developed for transportation of PRVs is comprised of multiple components including a base, top, and other components for securing the PRV within the container while it is transported. The use of multiple components allows the container to be assembled and dissembled around the product while providing the needed protection during transport.
Although specialized returnable containers allow a shipper to meet many needs related to the transport of products from a shipping facility to retailers or dealers, they are typically more expensive to manufacture and maintain than general purpose containers. They may have unusual shapes or sizes to accommodate the specific products to be contained, and therefore, may be more costly to manufacture and transport. If they are comprised of multiple components, additional expense may be incurred in shipping and maintaining the additional components as well as tracking the additional components along with the containers.
For a variety of reasons, special containers are costly for a shipper to purchase and maintain. Therefore, shippers are interested in purchasing and maintaining only the number of containers they need to support their distribution network. To manage costs, they are interested in keeping containers they purchase in service as long as possible. For special containers—especially those that have multiple parts—keeping them in service requires frequent inspection, and in some cases repairs. For shippers that require a large volume of containers to support their distribution network, container maintenance can require a substantial amount of resources. The shipper must maintain spare parts for the containers as well as repair equipment that is used to complete repairs to damaged containers.
Special containers can be an important part of a product distribution network and therefore, an important asset to a shipper. Many shippers, however, do not have an adequate system for tracking and maintaining their special containers. They may have procedures in place for repairing or replacing containers that are damaged but they do not maintain data related to the containers and related repairs or replacements and therefore, may not know how many containers they have in their network, the locations of containers in their network, the status of the containers, or the amount of resources (e.g., spare parts inventory) they devote to repair and replacement of containers. Without detailed information about the container management program that the shipper has deployed, it is nearly impossible for the shipper to control costs related to the program or even to determine what costs are attributable to the program.
There is a need for a system and method for managing returnable containers and repairs of returnable containers. In particular, there is a need for a system and method for managing repairs of special returnable containers that comprise multiple parts. There is a need for a system and method for managing data related to repairs performed on returnable containers as well as the spare parts that are used to repair the containers. There is a need for a computerized system and method for managing returnable containers and repairs that supports data collection as well as data analysis.